April 22, 2009

Update on Callie's Radiation Treatment

I received these photos yesterday evening from Jen K., the 4th-year vet student at WSU's veterinary teaching hospital who is blind Callie's day-to-day case manager while she's there. Jen has been with Callie from when I first brought her, and kindly calls me with daily updates. In a word, Callie is doing great! She is getting her radiation dose every day and will for a full three weeks.

In the photos Jen sent, you see radiation vet techs Betsy W. and Rob H. They're the ones who actually administer the radiation. Jen says the entire process takes only about 10 to 15 minutes, and the radiation itself happens in less than 5 minutes.

Here is Betsy "masking" Callie with the anesthesia:

In this shot they're putting in her "bite block," which helps hold her head in the right position:

Next up, Betsy and Rob are positioning Callie under the linear accelerator, which is the machine that produces the radiation:

(Please, no comments on the rather broad posterior in that photo above. I'm sure it was just the camera angle!)

Here's the straight-on view with the bite block (the writing on it says "Callie Smith, 4/14/09," which is the date she started her radiation):

Another view of Callie under the linear accelerator:

And finally, Betsy is holding Callie while she recovers from the anesthesia:

They're using a very light anesthesia, Jen says, and by the time they have Callie back to her cage down the hall, she is awake and alert and ready to eat!

Jen told me this past weekend that Callie had been pretty quiet the first week but that on Saturday, she started howling from her cage. Jen thought that meant Callie really needed to go potty in a hurry, so she scooped her up and rushed her outside to the lawn ... where Callie promptly turned herself upside down and rolled around in the grass on her back. No, she didn't need to pee, she just wanted a good roll in the grass. I told Jen, "Well, she's got you trained now!"

In her email last night with the photos, Jen wrote, "Also, Callie is doing fantastic today. Currently, she is howling up a storm because she 'urgently' needs to go outside for a roll in the grass!"

On a more serious note, the radiation oncologist at WSU, Dr. Janean Fidel, had told me last week that without the radiation therapy, Callie would only have had months to live. So THANK YOU again to everyone who made a gift for Callie's treatment!

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Don't forget, you can vote every day for us in The Animal Rescue Site/PetFinder's Shelter Challenge.
Enter
"Rolling Dog Ranch" and our state postal code, MT for Montana,
and it will bring up our listing so you can cast your vote. We won
$1,000 in this online contest last year because of your help and would
like to win it again this year. Thank you!

Comments

Thank you for keeping all of us posted on Callie, in a funny sort of a way the RDR brings all of us that love animals togather.I bet Callie will be happy to roll in her own grass real soon. Thank God this is giving her more time to enjoy life. So sorry for your loss Dawn, it is never easy to lose one of our furry friends, they are such a part of our lives. Hugs and prayers to all.

Arf-A-Roo! So happy Callie is doing so great. Way to go lil' trooper! And personally, I thought your "butt shot" was awfully cute. You know us wiener dogs butts are as cute as our faces!! Stay strong, Callie.

Thanks so much for the great update on Callie & the step by step photos of the process. She's being a real trouper! Way to go, Callie!
On a much more somber note, Dawn, my heart goes out to you. Recently my dear greythound has been really sick & I've been on an emotional roller coaster. I'm so very sorry for your loss of your sweet companion. Please know that Brandy lives on in your heart.
With warm hugs to all,
ginger, Tobias & Tlingit

Teaching Hospital.....I had a feeling from Callie's first day who would be doing the teaching!!!
I hope she comes out of all this just fine....BTW the post about Callie form awhile ago (I'm Dead Except for My Tail) was the first RDR post I read.....so I have a special reason to be connected to Dear Callie.....oh, and I've read every post since.....Callie taught me!

So happy to hear that Callie is doing well. We just lost our 14 year old min pin Brandy to a brain tumor this weekend. Because she has had other health issues, she was a poor candidate for radiation and we made the tough decision to let her go. We miss our sassy little Brandy girl.

Thanks for the Callie update. She looks like she's being well cared for. And getting to roll in the grass is therapeutic since everything else in her daily routine has been turned upside down for the moment. I hope this treatment gives her a good quality of life for years to come. And for the shelter challenge, I even have some friends voting for the RDR this year, so let's hope you win something.

I am so glad to have this update about Callie. What a wonderful vet tech, Jen K. is to take the time to provide these pictures for you (& us) & to give you daily updates. I knew it wouldn't be long before Callie had them wrapped around her little paw. My heart flutters with love for all the people that were able to donate & make this possible. Can't wait for Miss Callie to be home & she will be so happy all the snow is gone & she will have grass to roll in there too! Continued prayers!